


That's What You Get (for Waking Up in Vegas)

by astudyinotters753



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Jack's Overdose, M/M, Multi, Past Jack Zimmermann/Kent Parson - Freeform, getting married in vegas, pb&j endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-13 02:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7958071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinotters753/pseuds/astudyinotters753
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Jack Zimmermann is 18 when he gets married for the first time.</p><p>He's still in the Q, and he's dragged out for a night on the town by Kent.  Someone buys a bottle of cheap Vodka, and somewhere between his tenth and eleventh shot, a little, gold ring, ends up wrapped around his left ring-finger.  When Jack wakes up the next day, warm and wrapped around Kenny, he doesn't remember anything after shot number seven last night."</p>
            </blockquote>





	That's What You Get (for Waking Up in Vegas)

Jack Zimmermann is 18 when he gets married for the first time.

He's still in the Q, and he's dragged out for a night on the town by Kent. Someone buys a bottle of cheap vodka, and somewhere between his tenth and eleventh shot, a little, gold ring, ends up wrapped around his left ring-finger. When Jack wakes up the next day, warm and wrapped around Kenny, he doesn't remember anything after shot number seven last night.

When Kent finds out, he clams up a bit. He can't show Zimms that he's frustrated because he can't remember kissing, hot and heavy and hurriedly in the back alley of the minor-friendly club they visited. Can't show how upset he is that Jack doesn't remember promising Kent forever and suggesting they tie the knot. Can't show how devastated he is that Jack thinks that the whole thing is nothing more than a big, elaborate joke that Kent made up just to see Jack laugh.

So Kenny doesn't say anything about the rushed, cheap chapel wedding they'd had, doesn't say anything about how beautiful Jack had looked, buttoned up in one of the matching by-the-other tuxedo rentals, doesn't say anything about how he was stone cold sober the entire night and can never forget the way his heart tried to leap out of his throat when Jack slipped a ring onto his finger.

Two weeks later, Jack swallows a few too many pills, and Kent's the one to find him, face down on the grey tile of their shared bathroom. He scrabbles for his phone where he’s tucked it away in his ripped pocket, and falls to his knees beside Jack. His fingers fumble as he punches in 9-1-1, and his heart seizes horribly in his chest when he has to put the soft-spoken lady in dispatch on speaker so he can shove his unresponsive husband onto his side. 

Some ten minutes later, paramedics rush through their house, reminding Kent of a swarm of flies. They buzz around him, shouting terminology and commands back and forth as they process the scene. A few minutes later, and they’ve loaded Jack up into a stretcher, packed him and every single one of his orange prescription bottles away for transport. Convinced they have everything they need, they rush Jack down to the ambulance and take off, in a flurry of lights and sirens, to the local hospital. Kent is left exactly where they found him - crumpled in on himself half-way under the sink in the bathroom.

When he makes it to the hospital (only about ten minutes after the ambulance - he sped like crazy) Kent’s hit with the information that “only family and next-of-kin” can enter Jack’s room. He tries to fight with the nurses, and ends up making as big of a scene as he can make at three in the morning in an empty waiting room. He claims that he's Jack Zimmermann's husband, and that makes him family. But it's not enough. The hospital doesn't recognize Civil Unions as "family."  
So Kent just waits in the waiting room with the stale, sanitized hospital air, the bland, beige walls with his head in his hands and stomach in knots. He pulls his hands away from his face to stare at the matching gold band around his finger and just spins it round and round until he's made the skin underneath red and raw. He's even bleeding a little bit, but he doesn't care because surely Jack is hurting worse.

A few hours later, Bob and Alicia turn up with pillows, blankets, and two, large thermoses of coffee in their hands. They chat with the nurse for a few moments before they’re led back to Jack’s room. Kent lets himself be maudlin for a moment, lets himself be angry that, even though he’s married to Jack Zimmermann, the society he lives in doesn’t think it’s enough for him to be considered Jack’s family. The flash of anger only lasts as long as it takes Kent to form the thought, and is quickly replaced with exhaustion. With a huff, Kent rises to go refill his coffee cup for what feels like the tenth time.

When Kent makes it back to his seat, he finds Alicia sitting next to the chair he’d been perched in all night. Her hands are worrying one of the sleeves of her shirt, and her eyes are as red and puffy as Kent’s own. Silently, he slips back into his chair, sips his coffee, and tries to prepare himself for what she’s going to say. 

“Kent,” she starts, her gentle voice cracking around his name. “You should go home.”

Outside, the sun is starting to pink up the horizon, and Kent is completely cried out. His hands are shaking, and the only thing he really wants to do is go back and curl up in the hospital bed with Jack, but Kent’s never been able to seriously argue with Alicia Zimmermann, and this morning is no different. So, Kent downs the rest of his coffee, throws his empty, bitten styrofoam cup away, and heads for the door.

“I’m glad you were the one to find him,” Alicia says, trailing after him as he goes. She ends up walking him to the car, telling him things that are supposed to make him feel better. “He talks about you all the time, Kent. It’s obvious you mean a lot to him.”

Kent just shrugs, and tries his best to pretend he didn’t hear that. He knows that he’s way more gone on Jack than Jack is on him.

“I’ll have Jack give you a call after he wakes up,” Alicia says, flashing Kent a small smile as he unlocks his car. Kent knows it’s a lie.

***_/ \\_***

Two days later, Jack is checked out of the hospital.

Three days later, all of Jack’s things have been packed up and moved out of his billet home.

A week passes, and Kent doesn't hear from Jack. So, with a heavy heart, he goes to the local courthouse, chalks it all up to stupid, teenage drunkenness, and gets their marriage annulled. He pretends, as he slips off his wedding band and sells it at a skeezy looking pawn shop, that his heart isn’t breaking.

***_/ \\_***

A year after Jack is released from the hospital, he's teaching twelve-year-olds hockey while Kent's team wins the Stanley Cup for the first time since he joined.

Two years after Jack is released from the hospital, he starts as a freshman at Samwell while Kent is voted in as the new Captain of the Aces.

Three years after Jack is released from the hospital, Kent sends him one text message that simply says "I'm sorry." Jack doesn’t reply.

Four and a half years after Jack is released from the hospital, he joins Instagram and starts posting the photos he takes for his photography class. Kent likes every single one of them.

Five years after Jack is released from the hospital, he finally sends Kent a message. "I forgive you." he says. For the first time in five years, Kent feels like he can breathe again.

***_/ \\_***

Five and a half years after Jack is released from the hospital, Kent is pleased to say that they're making progress with a tentative friendship. He's so hopeful that, as soon as he hears about the big party being thrown at Samwell (he stalks Jack's friend's facebook pages) he books a flight to Boston and drives up to see him.  
Kent walks into their celebration party to see Jack with his arm hooked around a little, blonde boy in a dress, the other hand lifted into the air with a phone pointed at their faces. Kent feels his heart drop down into his stomach. If you’d asked Kent before coming to the party if he could ever see him getting back with Jack Zimmermann, Kent would answer a shaky “yes”. Now, he’s convinced that the answer is a resounding “no”.

From where he stands across the room, Kent is convinced that the Kent-shaped hole in Jack's life has already been filled by this other, little blonde boy; that there isn't anymore room for Kent in Jack's life, no matter how well they've been getting along lately. He feels his heart start to pound unevenly in his chest, and the courage he amassed to get this far leaves him. Frantic, Kent is turning to retreat from the party when Jack finally sees him, weak and running for the first exit like he’s on a burning plane, and oh. Suddenly, Kent is eighteen again, and he’s standing in a Vegas wedding chapel, exchanging gold rings and promises of forever with Jack Zimmermann.

Fine and a half years after Jack is released from the hospital, Kent sees Jack for the first time. He watches as Jack's lips work around his name, as Jack’s eyebrows crinkle in the center of his forehead, as Jack’s posture seizes up like Kent is some sort of threat. Kent just shrugs like he can’t be bothered, and jerks his thumb towards the front door he just finished pushing his way through. Then, he turns and all but barrels his way outside, knowing full well that he can't trust himself 100% yet not to make dumb decisions.

He makes a beeline for where he's parked his car in a mostly-empty lot three blocks over from the Haus, and all but collapses against the closed door when he reaches it.

Five and a half years since Jack was released from the hospital, Kent wonders for the first time if maybe he needs some time in the hospital, too.

***_/ \\_***

Kent doesn't know how long he stands there, clinging desperately to the cool metal of his rental car as he tries to even out his breathing and blink away the tears that sting at the corners of his eyes. He doesn't even know quite when he looses his hold on the door handle and collapses to the concrete. He gets lost in the sting of his knees, his palms, his eyes, gets lost in the way his lungs hurt from gulping in too-big breaths, gets lost in the way that his vision goes blurry and spins. The more Kent cries, the more he gets lost in the feeling of being lost, and wants nothing more than to just forget everything that has happened.

What Kent will remember, many years later, about that night, is how hot Jack's hand felt when it seared across his shoulder, and how gentle the small blonde boy - Eric - was when he herded the three of them back to the Haus.

Kent soon finds himself trying not to cry any more as he picks apart the lattice topping of one of Eric's maple apple pies. Jack is softer with him than he's ever been, his deep voice steady and solid as he tells Kent just how happy he is to see him.

Kent can see Eric eyeing them from where he's putting together some sort of mix to be used in the morning. Kent knows that Eric’s trying hard not to hover too close, but that he’s curious about how exactly Kent and Jack are tied together. He can track each furrow of Eric’s eyebrows, every muted flinch as Eric carefully measures out flour, baking powder, and salt, every degree Eric's frown increases as more and more of Kent’s history with Jack is laid bare for anyone in the general vicinity that can hear them.

Despite what the general public thinks, Kent isn’t dumb; he knows what Eric's movements mean, even if Jack doesn't. Kent also knows that he doesn’t have any sort of hold on Jack anymore, and it’s already so obvious that this boy, that Eric does. So, he does his best to push away the sick feeling in his stomach, as he folds his hands in his lap. He tries to be brave in a way he hadn’t been since he was eighteen years old and was convinced that Jack was his whole world. "So,” he breathes, the words coming out silky smooth. “How long have you two been together?"

He sees it before either Eric or Jack do, knows the second the words drop inelegantly, like a freaking atomic bomb, from his mouth that he’s messed up. He just knows, in the same way that he knows a large part of him will always love Jack, that Eric is going to run. He also knows that Eric is probably going to miss the tipped over cup of alarmingly green tub juice puddled on the ground, knows that it's a decent chance that Eric will crash forward and crack his head on the counter's corner.

So, as soon as Eric's head whips around, his brown eyes blown wide with fear, Kent gets ready. When Eric starts to run, Kent’s slipping out of his chair and stretching out his arms to catch Eric. The moment Eric starts to fall, Kent’s there, and Eric falls against his chest with a soft thwump. He holds on to Eric as long as he can, luxuriating in the way Eric’s pulse rabbits at the hollow of his throat. Then, Jack catches sight of the picture they make, and he makes a strangled, tortured sound, and Kent wonders what exactly he did wrong.

"We're not together," Eric finally says, his voice as uneven as Kent feels.

Swallowing down the bile that threatens to rise from his stomach, Kent simply says, "Well maybe you should be."

“Kenny,” Jack says, his voice quiet and sounding a little bit like he just missed the opportunity to make the game-winning goal. Suddenly, Kent is pushing Eric back on his feet, snatching his hands away from Eric as if touching him had burned him. Every fiber of his being is screaming at him to run away from the Haus, to run away from the delicious pie he’s only half finished with, to run away from the delicate situation he’s not quite sure he wants to see play out. So, he backs away, taking small, measures steps so he doesn’t fall on an unseen beer bottle.

“Kenny,” Jack says again, one of his hands making an abortive jerking motion towards Kent. Jack is still for a moment, and his tongue peeks out from between his lips as he thinks. “I think we need to talk?” he finally offers, trying to keep his tone as hopeful as he can.

Eric seems to sense Kent’s oncoming panic attack before Jack does, and steps forward to place his hands on Kent’s shoulders. “Not like that, honey,” he says, even and forceful, in a way that leaves Kent unable to argue with him.

Stony faced, Kent just nods and lets himself be led, Eric pulling his wrists, Jack touching his lower back. They weave through the kitchen, up the stairs, and then pause at the end of the hallway before Jack’s room.

“Give me just a moment to change,” Eric says, gently letting go of Kent’s hands. “I’ll be over in just a tic. You two get comfortable, okay?”

Jack doesn’t give him any time to answer, and just continues to guide Kent into his bedroom. He wastes no time, slipping into the bathroom to wash the cat whiskers from his face. Then, when his cheeks and nose are scrubbed pink, Jack returns to him, rifles through his drawers for something, then throws a pair of sweatpants at Kent’s head. They change with their backs facing each other.

Eric slips back into the room as Kent’s tying the top of his borrowed sweatpants tight around his hips, his shirt pushed up just enough so that he can see what he’s doing. Eric crosses in front of him and makes himself comfortable on Jack’s bed in a way that suggests that he’s done it before. Seeing him so comfortable in Jack’s space hurts deeper than anything else Kent’s ever experienced. It should be him lounging open and relaxed on Jack’s bed, should be him making heart eyes at Jack every time he turns his back, should be him that’s embedded himself permanently into Jack’s life. Kent adjusts his hat and reaches for the door handle when he thinks Jack isn’t looking.

He’s stopped when a firm hand wraps hot and heavy around his wrist. "Stay, Kenny?" Jack asks, his voice so small and fragile, Kent's not quite sure how it didn't break.

Five and a half years after Jack is released from the hospital, Kent makes the decision to stay.

***_/ \\_***

Six years after Jack is released from the hospital, his twitter is followed by @omgcheck please, and Kent is in awe the entire day.

Six years and three weeks after Jack is released from the hospital, Kent finally goes on another date. He takes both Eric and Jack out to one of his favorite hole-in-the wall places in Boston. They order dinner and exchange jokes and chirps and stories until it’s so late, the owner comes out and, so politely Kent’s convinced he might cry, asks them to please settle their bill and leave.

Six years and three weeks after Jack is released from the hospital, Kent get to kiss both Jack and Eric goodnight. 

Six and a half years after Jack is released from the hospital, Kent, Eric, and Jack spend the entirety of the summer break tangled up with each other as they flit back and forth between Providence and Las Vegas. For the first time since Jack overdosed, Kent can say that he’s happy.

***_/ \\_***

Jack Zimmermann is 28 the second time he gets married. Instead of a cheap, quick, Vegas chapel affair and rent-by-the-hour tuxes, he’s comfortable at home in his backyard surrounded by his closest friends and family.

This time, nobody is drunk. This time, there’s a gorgeous two-tier cake that Eric made special for them. This time, there are three rings - one for each of them.

“Hey, Zimms?” Kent starts, as he’s sliding a wedding band with Eric onto Jack’s finger.

“What, Kenny?” Jack replies.

“No backing out of this one, okay?” Kent asks.

Jack is silent for a moment before a sunny smile cuts across his face.

“Never,” he replies, bending down to kiss first Kent, then Eric.

“Never,” Eric confirms, squeezing Kent’s hand tightly in his own.

Jack Zimmermann is 28 when he gets married for the last time, and Kent Parson has never been happier.


End file.
